Photo Credit: Andreas Mayr
Stephen Curry On Needing To Carry Lions Share Of Warriors’ Scoring Load
Stephen Curry is hunting the sole thing that’s still missing in his career – a Finals MVP award.
The Golden State Warriors are in the NBA Finals for the sixth time in eight years, but Curry hasn’t been named the Finals MVP yet – even though he should have been in 2015.
And after the first two Finals games in San Fransisco, Curry has clearly looked like the best player. While he’s as brilliant offensively as ever, he’s added some great defense to his skillset and looks ready to lead the Warriors to their fourth title in eight years.
But different to the previous Finals the Warriors participated in, the Warriors have lacked some offensive firepower in these ones aside from the two-time MVP, yet.
Kevin Durant isn’t on board any more, and Klay Thompson, who was great during the 2015, 2017 and 2018 NBA Finals has struggled in Games 1 and 2. Granted, he is coming of two devastating injuries and hadn’t played for two years, before making his comeback this January, but his 13 points on 32% shooting from the field and 27.7% from three simply are not enough help for a second option.
The third Splash Brother, Jordan Poole also has struggled in his past 10 games, and in these Finals especially. Through the first two games of the Finals, Poole is averaging 13 points on 35.8% shooting from the field, with seven turnovers. If we take away his incredible run towards the end of the third quarter of Game 2, these stats would look infinitely worse.
So for the first time in his post-season career, the Warriors offense solely relies on Curry to bring his a-game every single time he steps on the court. After Game 2, the three-time Champion was asked about his extended lions share in the Warriors offense, and how different it feels carrying more of a scoring load than he used to.
“I think it’s different just because of the way the team is constructed. There’s always the need for me to be aggressive, try to play-make, try to score. Understand how the defense is going to guard me and guard us as a team and be able to counter that when you have — I guess you compare it to years past with the depth that we had, with the heavy load of scoring me, KD, Klay had, obviously looks a little different and the game flows a little different.
I think this year, there’s definitely a need for me to be aggressive throughout the game, to create, draw attention, get shots up and just continue to apply pressure. Obviously the first two games, it’s gone well. I don’t know what it will look like on the road, rest of the series. It’s just always about being confident with the ball in my hands and make plays.”
